Longarms
Longarms are handheld, long-ranged weapons that must be held and operated with two hands. Various rifles are the most common type, though many types of longarms exist. Some longarms support automatic fire as well. Longarms require a battery or ammunition of the proper size and type to function, as shown on Table 7–4. Two-Handed Weapons Weapon Descriptions Acid Dart Rifle An acid dart rifle has a nonreactive polymer reservoir that can be filled with whatever acid the wielder desires. The automatic loading process fills the rifle darts with acid as they are moved into the chamber. Dual acid dart rifles fire two darts simultaneously, while complex acid dart rifles hold concentrated doses of acid. Arc Emitter Arc emitters discharge a cone of electrical energy that can damage and stun anyone within its area. Advanced arc emitters can be used at a longer range and are used by military forces to stun and subdue groups of enemies. Arc Rifle Arc rifles fire deadly electrical blasts and have a longer range than arc pistols. Like arc pistols, arc rifles can stun targets that are not killed outright by the electricity damage. Autobeam Rifle Autobeam rifles can fire in automatic mode, spraying a cone of lasers from the barrel. Autotarget Rifle An automatic model of the basic rifle, autotarget rifles fire continuously for as long as the trigger is depressed and fresh rounds are available in the magazine. Blaze Rifle A blaze rifle is a bulky, ungainly weapon, with a rifle stock and two tanks of petrol mounted atop the barrel. Compared to other petrol weapons, the blaze rifle fires a far narrower stream of petrol, which allows for greater accuracy. Fire-loving mercenaries often choose the blaze rifle to avoid charring their allies. Ifrit-, salamander-, hellhound-, firedrake-, and phoenixclass blaze rifles are common throughout the Pact Worlds. Blindmark Rifle Blindmark rifles generate sonic frequencies through carefully aligned resonance in multiple magnetic cylinders positioned between the stock and the short muzzle of the weapon. When the rifle’s shot hits a target, that target retains the resonance as a faint or subsonic tone useful for creatures that have blindsense (sound or vibration) or blindsight (sound or vibration). Multiple targets struck by the same blindmark rifle emit identical tones that can be distinguished only by location. Blindmark rifles are manufactured in thunderstrike, LFD (low-frequency device), HFD (high-frequency device), and banshee models. Boomer Rifle The long, rippled barrel of a boomer rifle focuses the sound of several shells ignited simultaneously into a wave of sonic energy. These weapons arose on Akiton as a wayward Veskarian battalion beset a series of scrappy outposts. When lighter rifles failed to pierce the advanced vesk armor, residents used sonic weapons to overwhelm their foes. Tremor and rumbler boomer rifles use low and damaging sonic frequencies. Concussive and shock wave versions also produce a jolt that can knock a target prone. Breaching Gun A breaching gun uses scattergun shells as ammunition against a single target at short range, dealing an impressive amount of damage and even tearing through doors and other objects. These weapons are most commonly seen in the hands of space pirates who need to blast through plastic interior doors, though expert users can use these weapons to break through airlock doors. Breaching guns also saw widespread use on Absalom Station in the aftermath of the Gap, as security forces desperately tried to maintain control over the station’s fractured and panicked population, which often required blasting through barricades and sealed interior airlocks. Utility, snub, impact, vortex, and grapeshot breaching guns are widely available on various worlds. Charge Emitter This series of insulating reinforced-glass rings can be installed into armor upgrade slots and focuses an electrical charge into a targeted bolt. The sheer power necessary to project a bolt of electricity means that even an impulse charge emitter is a substantial weapon, and jolt charge emitters and surge charge emitters are significantly more powerful. Their relatively slim profile makes them popular for a number of users, from androids and others who benefit from a racial armor upgrade slot, to starship-repair crews in hostile space who want to keep their hands free for their work without leaving themselves totally undefended. Combat Rifle This utilitarian rifle is favored by mercenaries who aren’t looking for flashy weapons. Disintegrator Rifle Rather snub nosed compared to other longarms, a disintegrator rifle is heavier than it looks due to the row of round energy-generating compartments atop its frame. These compartments generate enough energy for the weapon to liquefy enemies’ bodies. Well-connected customers can purchase liquidator, decimator, executioner, and eradicator disintegrator rifles. Dragon Rifle A larger and more powerful version of a dragon pistol, a dragon rifle also commonly bears draconic motifs or iconography in its aesthetic design. The globules of petrol from a dragon rifle are slightly larger than those from a pistol, and the weapon can be set to launch a series of shots in quick succession. Wyrmling, drake, and wyvern dragon rifles are available, along with the powerful and rare true dragon rifle. Dross Gun Early models of disintegrator weapons were designed solely to deal indiscriminate corrosion damage to targets. The dross gun is a slightly more refined version, though it lacks the overall power those initial prototypes had. Its shots are slightly more concentrated, dealing substantial damage to objects and dealing painful, lasting wounds to a target on a direct hit. A scrapper dross gun is the smallest model available, used as often to remove choice parts from a wrecked starship as it is to remove crew from the ship in the first place, and the scoring and flux models have increased wounding capabilities. Excavation Laser This sturdy, snub-nosed laser rifle resembles a starship’s mining laser in miniature. It fires a powerful beam that loses intensity after a relatively short distance, which makes it not only useful in many mining and quarrying endeavors but also effective in medium-range combat for those trained in its use. Most technologically advanced civilizations develop excavation lasers, and the tools are commonly seen in the hands of workers from the Ulrikka Clanholdings and other miners in the Diaspora. Light, medium, and heavy excavation lasers all see extensive use. Flame Rifle A flame rifle shoots a line of ignited petrol from its barrel. Flare Rifle A flare rifle is similar in appearance to a combat rifle, though it has a slightly wider barrel and magazine. This weapon fires flares, which don’t typically deal tremendous damage but can distract opponents. Dazzler flare rifles fire a single, relatively ordinary flare, while the vivifier flare rifle breaks open the flare and burns it all in moments, causing far greater light and heat. Coruscator, scorcher, and nova models fire more flares at a time to increase their damage output. Freeze Ray Across the galaxy, practically every sufficiently advanced civilization has created its own variation of the freeze ray. All freeze rays function in a similar way, emitting a long line of supercooled gas, but individual models reflect their species’ design aesthetics. In the Pact Worlds, the most common models reflect the slim profile of Vercite technology or the bony protrusions of Eoxian design. Hiemal, algid, and glacial freeze rays simply produce an extreme reduction in the temperature along the weapon’s line of effect. Isothermal freeze rays cause a persistent temperature drop, dealing further damage, while hypothermic freeze rays causes multiple temperature reductions in rapid succession for further increased destruction. Frost Projector A frost projector requires two armor upgrade slots to install: one for the short, wide barrel and another for the coolant canister and battery; cables and hoses connect the two components. These weapons are produced in frostbite-class, hailstorm-class, and blizzard-class models. Gulchgun Gulchguns are a feat of fearless ysoki tinkering; the rifles use scattergun shells as ammunition but detonate them entirely within the rifle’s internal chambers, instead firing a tongue of flame, accompanied by tremendous noise. The technology of the gulchgun eventually developed into the shorter and more stable shellgun, but ysoki purists and desperate buyers alike keep the market for these weapons alive. Gyrojet Rifle The longarm model of a gyrojet pistol, a gyrojet rifle fires minirockets with devastating force. Hunting Rifle This basic rifle is used mainly for personal defense and hunting. More advanced rifles have military uses. Ice Carbine Rather than relying on coolant to produce supercooled gas, an ice carbine pumps heat out of large vents integrated in the weapon’s stock and uses the temperature change to produce brittle, razor-sharp shards of ice in the chamber. This design allows it to either fire a short, targeted shot or spray a hailstorm of piercing needles at a group of foes. The heatexchange technology used in these weapons is common on Verces, where it’s used for many purposes, making it relatively easy to find them in the Pact Worlds, from the subzero models (often built in illicit basement labs) to absolute-zero ice carbines, which are the best in the Pact Worlds. Gelid and ultracold ice carbines improve on the subzero version’s technology and overall power. Igniter An igniter has a deep-red crystal rod in place of a typical longarm barrel. This crystal focuses infrared light on a distant foe, causing the target to burst into flames. Assassins and drow in particular often favor the weapon due to its absence of any visible discharge. Ember, blaze, inferno, and solar flare igniters are common in many places. Infinity Rifle Infinity rifles take their name from their shape, two conjoined rings similar to an infinity symbol with twin muzzles along the outer edge of one ring. The two rings contain a twisted loop of fiber-optic cabling that channels the laser beam; adding more energy to the loop results in a more powerful blast. These weapons were first introduced to the Pact Worlds by skittermanders (Starfinder Alien Archive 106), though their current nomenclature (tactical, advanced, elite, and paragon) was imposed by other weapons manufacturers. Kalo Shredder Favored by the much-romanticized kalo hunters of Kalo-Mahoi, kalo shredders fire razor-sharp flechettes with nearly silent magnetism. The gun’s distinctive organic design is grown from magnetic coral that grants you a +2 bonus to KAC against disarm combat maneuvers. Laser Rifle With its snub, squared barrel and internal reinforcements, a laser rifle is sturdy and dependable. Magnetar Rifle The magnetar rifle uses magnetic fields to accelerate metallic rounds to high speeds. With few moving parts that can break down, it’s a workhorse automatic rifle popular among planetary explorers. Microfusion Rifle The microfusion rifle is built around a bulbous miniaturized fusion reactor. Plasma is generated and placed under incredible pressure in the reactor before being vented in a sudden blast that sometimes carries dangerous levels of radiation. The sparse shielding on light microfusion rifles often results in the users incurring radiation poisoning, so they tend to be used by undertrained militias that can’t afford (or lack the judgment to use) safer heavy weapons. Medium and heavy microfusion rifles are built with larger reactors, which prove more dangerous to their users and targets alike. Nanite Thrower A nanite thrower has a cylindrical nanite canister above the stock, which serves as ammunition. Instead of firing a single projectile, the nanite thrower hurls a coherent cluster of nanites at the target. These microscopic machines burrow in and damage the target from within. Nanite throwers come in similar models to the nanite rifle—tactical, advanced, and elite. With throwers, however, this line extends to the paragon model. Needler Rifle Like the needler pistol, this injection gun can be fitted with cartridges containing medicine or poison. The needler rifle fires darts much farther than its smaller counterpart. Nova Rifle Much like traditional plasma rifles, nova rifles fire coherent gouts of plasma that can potentially travel some distance and burn multiple targets. However, nova rifles have a slimmer profile overall but a larger aperture, projecting plasma that’s both slightly cooler and more diffuse. The nova rifle’s intense visual display makes it a favorite of icons looking to make a statement or simply add pyrotechnics to their shows. Red star, yellow star, and white star nova rifles are all easily identified by the color of their plasma arcs. Numbing Beam Complex algorithms, controls, and safeguards within a numbing beam ensure the weapon never lowers its target’s temperature to lethal levels. Tactical and advanced numbing beams see use in populated areas, while elite and paragon numbing beams are more often employed in military endeavors. Those models intended for use near civilians include prominent external computer interfaces, as though to advertise their safety features, while military models tend toward a sleek, traditional design. Petrol Converter This longarm has an extra cylinder connected to the petrol tank that contains a series of converter filters housing active bacteria. Diverting the petrol flow through this system before firing allows the bacteria to convert the fuel into acid. In addition to the tactical, advanced, elite, and paragon petrol converters, manufacturers have produced a light petrol converter for industrial applications. Plasma Bolter One of the most common ranged weapons used by the vesk military during the war between the Pact Worlds and the Veskarium, the plasma bolter is a particularly hefty longarm with a bulky profile that speaks to its vesk origins. Unlike most common ranged plasma weapons, which lay out long lines of plasma or boost their output, plasma bolters focus on delivering a single heavy bolt of plasma. These weapons saw extensive use in fighting back the Swarm, and now many can be easily obtained on the open market as Pact Worlds manufacturers have begun offering their own tactical, advanced, elite, and paragon models of the classic weapon. Plasma Caster Plasma casters fling bolts of ionized plasma at a target. They have good range and are easier to use than plasma rifles or pistols, but they strike only a single target. Plasma Fork Also known as a plasma rail gun, a plasma fork has two long metal prongs in place of a barrel. The mechanism magnetically accelerates a bolt of plasma between these two prongs, but it can also hold plasma temporarily between the prongs to charge up an even more devastating attack. Each model has a number of notches that infuse the plasma with energy, starting with 12-notch plasma forks and increasing in intensity to 15-notch, 19-notch, and 22-notch plasma forks. Plasma Rifle Plasma rifles fire long lines of ionized plasma that lance through objects and opponents in their path. Polarity Rifle The polarity rifle was designed by Vercite engineers using the conceptual model that underpins polarity gauntlets. This rifle’s prongs are separately polarized, and it alternates between them as it fires to create a circuit of lightning between the gun and target, causing subsequent attacks to deal additional damage. Static, aurora, storm, and tempest polarity rifles are favored by sharpshooters in many fields, though they are often scorned by kasathas who view them as a vulgarized appropriation of an honorable weapon. Pulsecaster Rifle The pulsecaster rifle sends a low-voltage blast at its target and has a longer range than the handheld pulsecaster. The blast can stun the target and deal nonlethal damage. Rail Gun Similar in design to the magnetar rifle, a rail gun uses magnetic fields to accelerate its rounds to lethal speeds. While magnetar rifles are more powerful, they’re also larger and heavier, leaving many to favor the smaller and lighter rail gun. The weapons’ affordability makes them a popular choice for members of the Starfinder Society and other exploratory groups. Rail guns come in tactical and advanced models, with the advanced rail gun being slightly larger. Rocket Rifle A rocket rifle is a longarm that uses mini-rockets as ammunition. The weapon and its ammunition are both quite expensive, but they make up for it in firepower. Rocket rifles came into heavy use at the onset of the war with the Swarm, often employed by daring soldiers on high-risk missions into Swarm strongholds. Scattergun A scattergun fires fragmentary shells in a spray from its barrel, dealing damage to all targets in range. The shortened barrel of the snub scattergun makes it easier to conceal. Grapeshot, impact, and vortex scatterguns are designed to deliver enhanced damage. Seeker Rifle Seeker rifles are single-shot projectile weapons. The line gained its name from korasha lashunta explorers, who favor the rifle for its reliability in hostile terrain. Serpent Laser The serpent laser is a creation of the Aspis Consortium, meant to undercut the pricing of its competitors while consuming battery charges at a higher rate to drive the sale of additional batteries, higher-capacity batteries, and recharging services. Experienced spacefarers know the scheme behind the serpent laser and generally avoid what they have come to call the “snakebite laser,” though amateurs and novices often fall for the low initial price. Serpent lasers have the same model names as many standard laser rifles (azimuth, corona, aphelion, and perihelion), though savvy customers know that the serpent laser models are often slightly less powerful than their conventional counterparts. Shout Rifle A shout rifle looks less like a rifle and much more like an elongated megaphone. It functions in much the same way, amplifying sound input, such as the wielder’s voice, to an extreme volume and projecting it outward in a wide area. Protest leaders use shout rifles, ensuring that their proclamations can be heard at a great distance. Law enforcement officials also appreciate these weapons for crowd control. Sonic Rifle A sonic rifle fires a blast that is loud enough to deafen targets in addition to damaging them. Sonic rifles have snub-nosed barrels and typically incorporate U-shaped prongs to improve beam stability. Staccato Rifle A baffled tube on the underside of a staccato rifle produces and modulates discrete blasts of sonic frequencies. The rifle’s unique construction enables a fully automatic mode, producing a sound like drumming. The frequencies can leave a target’s auditory senses overwhelmed. Pulse staccato rifles have the shortest sonic projector for reliable repetitive shots with less power usage. Surge, drum, and hammer staccato rifles require more charge for a harder hit. Storm Coil A storm coil employs an air-core resonant transformer to produce high-voltage electrical output. The resulting bolt of electricity arcs out from the weapon in a line. Though it employs technology similar to the colossus coil, the storm coil was developed independently within the Pact Worlds. Live storm coils and jolt storm coils generate impressive bolts, while the larger impulse and surge storm coils have even farther reach. Streetsweeper Streetsweepers are sonic weapons designed to deliver a low-intensity “punch” of sound. A streetsweeper can be overcharged to deliver a significant sonic blast that can knock down its target. Void Rifle A firearm designed with crystals from the Plane of Shadow, a void rifle is unique in that power flowing through those crystals allows the rifle to fire inky bolts of life-sapping cold. The rifle’s frigid energy can harm only the living, so it does nothing to constructs and undead. Regardless, the rifle remains a favorite of followers of Urgathoa. Grave- and crypt-class void rifles are an option for standard issue among rank-and-file marines of the Eoxian navy, while tomb-, ossuary-, and barrow-class void rifles are reserved for elite forces. Zero Rifle Zero rifles have long, bulky barrels and tend to be very frontheavy. A heavy tank over the barrel stores the rifle’s coolant supply, contributing most of its bulk. Category:Weapons